Back
by irina.st
Summary: Hermione was never a normal person, not even by the standards of the wizards . She was strong and independent but she was a muggle-born so many were refusing to aknowledge her. But what if there was more than meets the eye about her? What if she was actually the twin sister of Draco Malfoy , stolen by Dumbledore for his own reasons and given to muggles to be raised?
1. Chapter 1 : Prologue

_**Chapter 1 : Prologue**_

Dumbledore was looking at the little child in his arms and was starting to question if it was really the best way to proceed. Sighing, he decided that it was useless to dwell too much on this, given the fact that his plan was already in motion. Sometimes, he felt guilty for his part in the war but he always reminded himself that everything was for the greater good. Deciding that postponing his task was useless, he approached the house which represented his destination. He knocked at the door and soon a man around his thirties opened it, regarding warily the strange man sitting on his man didn't even have the chance to ask the wizard what he wanted when the older man pointed his wand at the level of his eyes and a flash of white light erupted from its tip. Mr. Granger, for that was the name of the younger man , needed a minute to regain his senses and welcomed Dumbledore in his home following him in the sitting room. Having heard the door close, Mrs. Granger came to see if they were having company but she didn't have time to ask the old man anything before he repeated the same spell on her.

Checking that everything was in order, Dumbledore made the two people drink a strange potion which would end up modifying their memories , something that was extremely important for his plan to work. He needed to be the only one aware of the identity of the little baby girl he was carrying in his arms so he needed to modify the memories of the two muggles as he was going to make them believe that the child was theirs. After they drank the potion he started asking them some questions to see if the new memories have settled in. The Grangers told the old man about their beautiful baby ,Hermione, who was born on 19th September the previous year, their only child , a child born with great sacrifice as they had been struggling with infertility for a lot of years. Happy that the potions seemed to have worked , Dumbledore handed them the sleeping baby , some papers which would prove that the baby was theirs and then he erased their memories of ever meeting him and he left without being seen by anybody.

That night Dumbledore went back home content with his actions, being completely sure that the baby would be the answer to all his questions and that he would be able to make use of her to end the war once and for all . Little did he know that he would not be able to use his plan as the war came to an end a year later, ironically, at the hands of another baby. After the war and the disappearance of the Dark Lord, Dumbledore considered returning the baby to her original family but the wizard had a feeling that the darkness would be back someday so he decided to leave her with her new family, in the hope that he would never regret his decision to steal her.


	2. Chapter 2 : Torture

_**Chapter 2 - Torture**_

 _ **1998**_

Hermione was feeling that her life could not get any worse . Firstly, she was caught up in a war simply because not everybody from the world that she has come to love thought that she deserved to be a part of it. Many saw her as dirty and unworthy of her powers and disregarded everything she did simply because she happened to have muggle parents. Being the powerful witch that she was, Hermione knew that she was superior to many of them but it pained her to know that her blood mattered so much to so many people. Her only choice was to fight, to prove that she deserved her place in the wizarding world, feeling as though she had to fight not only for her but for all the muggle-borns who were terrorized by Voldemort.

After the Hogwarts' headmaster , Dumbledore, died at the hands of Severus Snape, Hermione and her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley embarked on a journey to end the reign of Voldemort once and for all and they started hunting horcruxes, a task which was left to them by Dumbledore through his testament. Because of this task, they ended up captured and brought to Malfoy Manor,Voldemort's headquarters , after they encountered a group of snatchers in their journey.  
Even though they were captured, Hermione, being the clever witch everybody knew she was did not give in to her despair. She knew which her priority was : keeping Harry alive, as he was the one prophesized to kill the Dark Lord. Hermione was going to do everything for that to happen, even giving her life in the process just to manage to kill the Dark Lord and to make the wizarding world a place where her kind would not live in fear. Prepared for the worst, she entered the manor expecting to be put face to face with the monster who has been hunting them all this time.

To Hermione's surprise, they were not brought face to face with Voldemort, but they were expected by the Malfoy family and Bellatrix Lestrange. The moment Hermione saw the deranged witch she knew that things would get very ugly at least for her. She managed to throw a Stinging Hex at Harry's face when they were caught so he could not be recognized and Ron was already pretty beaten so his face was swollen , meaning that she was the only one of the trio who could be easily recognized. Given Bellatrix's hatred for muggle-borns she was sure that she would be the first one targeted. She didn't even have a chance to finish her thought when she heard the older witch talk.

"Come here, Draco" said Bellatrix who looked eager to put things in motion. Reluctantly, Draco moved at the front , near his aunt, looking at the wall at the back rather than looking at the three people in front of him. " Tell me boy, do you recognize these three? You went at the same school. It is impossible not to know how they look up close" .  
Draco started watching them with pleading eyes and Hermione's stomach clenched. She realised that Draco was forced in this whole mess and he did not want to turn them in. He might have been an arrogant rich boy , boasting about his money and his power but this was on a whole another level. Hermione held her breath until she heard him say" I can't be sure. Their faces are distorted so I can't tell for sure".  
His aunt became impatient and started screaming" YOU USELESS BOY! You are good for nothing, just like your father! What about the girl? Her face is not swollen."  
Draco looked at Hermione and she knew he had no choice. She subtly nodded at him, knowing that he was the only one who could see. She was going to sacrifice herself and she was going to buy the two boys as much time as she could. This was the only solution. She just wanted him to know that she didn't resent him. She knew he had to do it.

"Yes, I think this is her" said Draco with strangled voice, his emotions starting to show. He was surprised that Granger of all people would understand him .This made him feel ashamed of himself, for being the one to sign this girl's death sentence.

"Very well, Draco. You are not as useless as I thought" said Bellatrix and then addressed the two snatchers " Take these two in the dungeons while we wait for their faces to become normal again. Meanwhile, I am going to have some fun with this one" said Bellatrix while looking at Hermione, her smile wide and her teeth showing.

"No, not her, please! Take me instead , please!" Ron's screams could be heard fading as he was taken to the dungeon but they were not heard by Bellatrix who was watching Hermione like a hungry wolf was watching his prey. Narcissa who was standing behind her sister was looking with sadness at the girl in front of her and Lucius was wearing his usual Malfoy mask , seeming uninterested but his fists were clenched.

"Now, now , little mudblood, I am going to have my fun" the mad woman said while smiling. "Let's play" and as the words left her mouth she sent the Cruciatus curse towards Hermione which hit with such an intensity that the girl started screaming right away. After a few minutes which seemed like hours for Hermione who was feeling like her whole body was on fire, Bellatrix stopped but only because one of the snatchers came looking for her . Through her tears, Hermione could see that the snatcher was showing Bellatrix Gryffindor's sword and the girl was already starting to think of some way to take it back when the older witch grabbed her shirt and lifted her at the level of her eyes.

" WHERE DID YOU GET THAT ? " screamed Bellatrix " HOW DID YOU GET IN MY VAULT?" . Confused , in pain, and with her voice almost inexistent from so much screaming, Hermione didn't even have a chance to open her mouth when she was thrown back to the floor and she heard the other witch saying " Don't worry you will tell me everything sooner or later" , and with that she resumed her torture with the Cruciatus , sending Hermione in an agony like she has never felt before.  
Half an hour later, seeing that Hermione just would not crack, Bellatrix had had enough of the torture with the Cruciatus and decided that she would get physical. Taking out a shiny dagger that she had hidden in her cloak she approached the young girl while cackling like mad.

"Bella I don't think that..." started Narcissa who looked like she was going to be sick but she was interrupted by her sister " Shut up Cissy , it is the only way to make her talk" . Narcissa looked like she wanted to protest but one look from her husband made her drop her idea.

" Here,here my little mudblood. I am going to show you how different you are. How dirty your blood is. I am going to take every bit of information out of you and then I am going to drain you of every drop of that filthy muggle blood that you have in you" .

Hermione was barely conscious when she felt the blade pierce her skin but it was enough to make her scream again as she felt the older witch carve in her arm with such ease like she had done that before. She was starting to feel really sick but she assumed that it was natural since she was going to die at the hands of Bellatrix . She disregarded the twingling feeling she was starting to feel all over her body and it wasn't untill she heard a scream that she realised something was wrong. She heard someone around her talking but she couldn't make out the words. The only thing that she realised was that the pain in her arm had stopped and that Bellatrix was no longer standing over her. But she didn't have time to question what was happening as everything started to fade around her, the only words she could understand being"...her...it is her" . After that the darkness consumed her

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading. This is my first work and I am really excited to share it with other people. I know that I am still lacking as a writer but I hope to learn a lot through this first fanfiction. Please review if you feel like sharing with me your views on this story .**_

 _ **-Irina-**_


	3. Chapter 3 : Back

_**Chapter 3 : Back**_

Narcissa was watching with sadness what was happening in front of her. Her sister was torturing a girl her own son's age and there was nothing she could do. It was not that Narcissa hadn't seen violence up until that point. She has seen plenty of it but the young girl's torture affected her in a way she didn't know was possible. Her motherly instincts were telling her to stop the torture and help the girl but she knew that she didn't have the means to do this. One wrong move from her and the Dark Lord would kill her precious Draco and her husband.

The truth was that Narcissa had a very well guarded secret , something that not many people knew and right now all her memories were coming back to her by seeing Hermione being tortured in her own home. Narcissa Malfoy was a tough woman who has been through a lot but she had a wound, something that could never be healed no matter how much time passed. Her children were her weakness.

Her Draco, the light of her eyes, was the only reason for which she was continuing her miserable life with the Death Eathers. She would do anything for that child, even giving her own life. Because she could never stand losing another child. For she had lost one so may years before.

On 5th of June 1980 , she gave birth to two children, a boy named Draco and a girl named Cassiopeia. To her, those children were the most beautiful ones in the whole universe , blonde with grey eyes, they represented her whole world and she would have done anything for them. But the faith had other plans and Cassiopeia had mysteriously disappeared one night from the nursery, with no trace of who the intruder could have been and why would he target the little baby.

* * *

 **Flashback**

* * *

Narcissa and Lucius were spending time together with their little family , something which was a luxury as Lucius was away a lot , being given a lot of tasks by the Dark Lord. Even though she didn't like the dangerous nature of her husband's work, there was not much that Narcissa could do because she knew that everything Lucius did was to protect them. She just wished that they could live their lives in peace.

"Do you think that we could spend some time together tomorrow as well? I hope that you remember what day it is " said Narcissa while gently caressing her young son's blonde hair.

Sighing, her husband answered while watching the small baby in his arms who was starting to fall asleep " I could never forget our anniversary my love . It is just that I can make no promise . It is all up to the Dark Lord . Please don't be mad at me "

" I am not mad Lucius I am just worried. Besides , your children are growing up but you can't even spend some time with them. It is unfair" replied the witch who was now close to tears.

" I know " said Lucius " But I will try to spend more time with you three after the Dark Lord gathers all the power he wishes and the war dies down. You are my world and I would do anything for you." and sealed his words with a chaste kiss on his wife's forehead."Come on, the babies are tired. Let's retreat to our chambers"

And with that, the Malfoys set their babies in their golden cribs and left the room, unaware that this would be the last time for some years when the four of them would be together.

That night Narcissa had a horrible time falling asleep, something in her heart telling her that something bad was going to happen. When she finally managed to fall asleep, she had one of the worst nightmares , where her children were being separated and she had to choose one of them to save. Both babies were crying for their mother and Narcissa was out of her mind as she could not help them. The moment the babies disappeared from the dream the scared woman woke up and it only took her two second to regain her senses and run to the nursery, hoping to be reassured that it was all a dream.

Unfortunately, she encountered a sight that would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life . Cassie's crib was empty and a crying Draco was fussing, feeling his sister's absence. Narcissa felt the despair setting in and she took Draco and kept him tightly in her arms while screaming for her husband.

When Lucius arrived and took in the sight in front of him he felt like the most useless and helpless man in the world , so absorbed in his work that he couldn't even protect his family.

The next few months were hell for Narcissa. She wept, screamed, begged and waited for a miracle but nothing happened. Her little girl was gone and there was no trace of where she was taken. In time the witch learned to live with her pain and with the knowledge that she might never see her baby again but her son and her husband were there to give her strength in those dark times.

* * *

 **End of flashback**

* * *

Thinking back to those days, Narcissa strongly believed that she would have gone mad if she would not have had Draco there, the little boy who was desperately in need for his mother to care for him. There were only a few people who knew about Cassie's existence as she and Lucius kept their two babies hidden because of the war so the fact that she did not have to face the pity of other people helped her keep her composure in public even though her heart was broken.

Seeing Hermione made her think again about her little Cassie and how she would be around the same age as the girl whose blood was spilling on her floor. She was imagining that that girl probably had a mother somewhere who, even though she was a muggle, would mourn her child the same way she had mourned hers.

But Bellatrix was not thinking about that. Even though it pained her to admit, her sister was barely sane , barely human. She was only thinking about inflicting pain and spreading despair and this made Narcissa feel sick. Purebloods should not be like this. They should be aristocrats , detaching themselves from this kind of behavior and showing the people their powerful magical abilities obtained from centuries of magical tradition taught from parents to children. But the times have changed and maybe the title of pureblood didn't represent the same purity as it should have.

The young witch in front of her was starting to give signs of losing her consciousness and Narcissa reckoned that she was probably close to dying. Just as this thought crossed her mind, her eyes widened as she saw that something was happening to the girl. She seemed to be changing , something that made even Bellatrix to stop and watch the girl with fury for she hated to have her "play time" interrupted .

Hermione's hair, was the first to change, transforming from a wild mane of brown locks into a beautiful smooth and silk-like hair, and most importantly it became a pale blond, almost white something that made Narcissa's heart pound faster. Afterwards, her height seemed to increase and her figure became slender and more delicate compared to her slightly tomboyish figure .

This was the moment Narcissa screamed, her motherly instincts taking over completely. She just knew who she was looking at, her heart was confirming everything that her eyes were seeing. However she did not have time to react as Bellatrix was blasted from the girl directly into a wall but instead of falling down she was being kept there, as though she was stuck on the wall . Narcissa realized immediately what was happening. The house was protecting its owner, as it was bound by the blood of the Malfoy family.

"Lucius, quick!" shouted the witch as she was running towards the girl.

The older Malfoy was looking at the girl with wide eyes, his entire Malfoy mask long forgotten as he was just at a loss of words.

"It is her " said Narcissa , her voice chocked " It is her Lucius, my baby is here, she is back".

Lucius did not know what to do. He was afraid to hope , his mind telling him that it could be a trick. But he knew that it was not possible. The house would have only helped a Malfoy and judging by his sister-in-law's position on the wall he knew that the house reacted rightly , helping its long-lost heiress.

"What are we going to do with..." but he didn't have time to finish his question. Bellatrix started screaming from her place on the wall , and she was struggling to get down but it was futile. Her skin started to change to a color close to ash and her screams started to become more and more powerless until she could not scream anymore . When her body stilled she was thrown from the wall and they could see that she looked like a mummy. They didn't need to check on her as they knew that the house took its revenge by sucking her life energy and her magical power.

Lucius felt like he woke up from a trance " We need to hurry . There is only us and the prisoners in the house for now but the snatchers might return. Narcissa you need to take her in the most faraway room in the house. The one that we warded in case we need an escape from The Dark Lord. Take her there and start tending to her wounds!"

Not needing another word, Narcissa levitated Hermione as gently as she could and she started to walk towards the rooms that would give her daughter her long-needed safety.

Lucius turned towards Draco an called his name but he saw that his son was not responding, his eyes glued to the place where his aunt died .

To say that Draco was speechless was an understatement . He had just seen his aunt killed by his house and a girl that was nothing more than a stranger to him, an ex classmate , was proven to be his sister.

"Draco" Lucius screamed to wake him up to reality. " Go to the dungeons and free all the people there . Call a house elf to get in touch with Dobby as he is loyal to the Potter boy and will take them out of here . Now listen to me carefully. Tell them that they must take the blame for Bellatrix's death. We can't be suspected of turning against her . Also tell them that they can't take her as she is too sick. Your mother needs me son so I am counting on you"

Draco merely nodded and he watched his father leave , leaving him alone with his aunt's body. Not sparing her a second glance , Draco ran towards the dungeons, knowing that his family counted on him.

* * *

In the dungeons the atmosphere was tense , Hermione's screams of agony having had an intense effect over all the inhabitants.

" What do you think happened, Harry?" Ron asked grimly " Maybe that mad woman got tired. Maybe she took a break. We have to get Hermione right now , until it is not too late"

Harry watched his best friend, not daring to tell him that it might already be too late. He felt helpless and he blamed it all on himself, blaming Hermione's fate on her friendship with him. Hearing steps coming towards them, Harry braced himself for what was coming , hoping that if they were next for torture at least they could find Hermione or at least her body . But it wasn't one of the snatchers or even Bellatrix coming for them but the last person he expected: Draco Malfoy.

It was not that Harry believed Malfoy to be an innocent person. Having spent so many years being his rival, Harry knew that Draco could be one of the worst bullies but he never truly believed that he was a full-time Death Eater . Especially when he knew that he hesitated to kill Dumbledore and he seemed sad for being given such a task. So seeing that Malfoy was the one coming to take them to torture made Harry feel like a fool for thinking that Draco actually had any good in him.

" What do you want ferret ? " spat Ron " Came here to torture us the same way as your aunt? " . But Draco was not even paying attention to him as he was working to open the door to the dungeon.

"Why are you ignoring me you coward? Afraid to be without your daddy? Wait until I ..."

" Get out " said Draco interrupting Ron's rant .

All the inhabitants of the room looked strangely at Draco, as though they were expecting to be led in a trap but it was Harry that decided to go out as they didn't have any other option.

"Now listen closely you idiots. And I want you to pay attention as I won't repeat myself . Yes, Weasley I know it is going to be hard for you to use that brain of yours but I think that you will manage" said Draco, his sneer present on his face. Just when the boys wanted to interrupt him he continued his idea " My aunt is dead , killed to help your friend Granger"

The boys were shocked and did not know what to say so Draco took advantage of this to continue

" I called for your house elf to come and take you out of here but I am going to need you to take credit for Bellatrix's death as it is too dangerous for my family to say otherwise"

" Like we would help your slimy family you .." started Ron but was interrupted by Harry " What about Hermione? "

" Your friend is hurt but she is being treated right now . She cannot be moved as her wounds are too severe but she was taken in a part of the Manor that nobody else can access so she is safe"

" We cannot leave without her " said Harry exasperated " Maybe your family saved her but I don't trust her . I am not leaving her with you "

Draco was already becoming impatient. He expected Potter to show resistance but now was not the time. It appeared that there was only one solution but Draco was dreading it .

" I will make an Unbreakable Vow to prove you I can be trusted " said Draco not even blinking as the words left his mouth.

" Why? " said Harry dumbfounded " Why do you care about her safety?"

"I care about my family's safety " said Draco but immediately corrected himself " My family would be held responsible for Bellatrix's death so I want you to cover for us. Keeping her safe will be part of the deal"

" Of course you want to save your skin you snake . You don't even care about anything other than yourself" said Ron taunting the Slytherin but his words were irrelevant to Draco who was staring in Harry's eyes . He stretched his arm and waited for the other wizard to take it . Reluctantly, Harry took his hand and in that moment Draco gave his wand to Luna who was watching them with big eyes : " I just don't trust the weasel with my wand "

With their hands clasped together and the wand pointed towards them Draco began " I , Draco Lucius Malfoy swear to protect Hermione Granger with my life if necessary . I swear to keep watch on her and make sure that she is protected and safe until she is prepared to go back to you" . From the wand erupted a red light which attached itself to Draco and Harry's hands.

Hesitantly , Harry continued " And I , Harry James Potter , swear to take onto myself the blame of Bellatrix Lestrange's death, until you are ready to reveal the real culprit" . Another light, this time green erupted from the tip of the wand , also attaching itself on the two hands.

" I have witnessed your Vow and I declare it valid " said Luna as she ended the spell " Also Draco I must say that the nargles are going to treat you better now that you had a change of heart "

Draco did not have a chance to answer as Dobby appeared to take everybody back to the Order.

" Do not forget your Vow Malfoy " said Harry " Please keep her safe " and with that they were taken away by Dobby back to safety .

" I will...I swear I will" said Draco as he remained alone in the Dungeon.

* * *

 _ **A/N** **Thank you for reading . Now that I have set the story in motion I am going to take a little more time between the updates as I want to get a little bit ahead with the writing. I am hoping for a weekly update , even sooner if my inspiration is at its peak.**_

 _ **Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter in any way**_

 _ **-Irina-**_


	4. Chapter 4 : Acceptance

_**A/N Thank you for your support for this story. I have been overwhelmed whith the amount of love that this story has received. Because this is my first story I have been unsure with many things but I am trying to learn and grow as a writer with each chapter.**_

 _ **I am sorry for not updating faster but Uni life kinda hates me.**_

 _ **I hope that you will enjoy the story from now on too**_

 _ **-Irina-**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4: Acceptance**_

Darkness was everything that Hermione was aware of when she started to regain her senses. It was surrounding her and somehow trying to devour her. But Hermione Granger was no fool. She knew that her current state could be explained in only one way : death . She was never a very religious person but she attended church together with her parents and despite her being a witch she believed in God. For her, death meant finally facing her judgment day and being sent to either heaven or hell , but somehow the darkness surrounding her was confusing .This was not how she imagined her afterlife.

If this was heaven, it was neither beautiful , nor peaceful . If it was hell, it was neither hurtful nor full of agony. It was just nothingness .

But Hermione did not care anymore. Unfortunately , she failed to protect her parents and she failed to fight for her cause , the only thing making her feel at peace being that her sacrifice hopefully helped her friends somehow. She bought them as much time as possible so maybe there was a chance that they could save themselves .

With these thoughts in mind , she no longer hoped that her soul would have a good fate. Not when so many people were suffering . She would take whatever God had in store for her with her head held high, with grace and dignity, the same way she had lived her life .

* * *

At Malfoy Manor the atmosphere was a grim one. The Dark Lord was greatly displeased to find out that one of his most trusted Death Eaters had died at the hands of his enemies, same enemies who managed to escape without a single scratch. Voldemort was so angry that his magic was running wild through the entire manor and it was threatening all the wizards present . There was not a single person who dared to even move a muscle because they all knew that their master's anger would be lethal to anybody. But apparently Voldemort only held one man responsible for this and that man was Lucius Malfoy.

" I am greatly displeased with you and your family Lucius" spat Voldemort in a low menacing tone " Your incompetence today cost me a valuable servant and has ensured the boy's escape . Not to mention the fact that my base has been exposed to Potter and his friends and now the Order could get easier access in here. " His words echoed through the entire room and made everyone shudder . After a pause the wizard continued

"Do you have something to say in your defense?"

Visibly nervous, a kneeling Lucius answered without daring to watch his master 's eyes .

" My lord , there are no words that can express how sorry I am for my failure " the wizard made a pause to find his words and then continued "The only thing that I can say is that I listened to Bellarix's orders as I thought that she would not do something to displease you. I thought that she acted with your best interest at heart so when she told us to leave her alone with the Granger girl we listened to her. But I am not looking for excuses. I was clearly wrong and I will take whatever punishment you deem appropriate for me. "

" Don't worry I will deal with you in a short while " grinned The Dark Lord, barely containing his excitement at the thought of punishing Lucius "but first of all I have some announcements. I have decided to change my base. Malfoy Manor , as useful as it was, was compromised since our 'guests' have left it alive. It is not safe anymore as we might wake up with the Order banging on our door so I decided to move permanently into Nott manor, as Thoros has so kindly invited me to. "

" My Lord, it will be our pleasure to host you and our brothers in arms" added slyly Thoros Nott who was now standing proudly in front of the other Death Eathers.

" Shut up you old fool. Did I allow you to talk?" interjected Voldemort.

" Excuse me, master " replied Thoros with an apologetic look.

"I will have all my death eaters moved there , all but you and your family , Lucius. You will have to keep residing here and notice me in case of an Order visit. The truth is that I don't think that you are competent enough to help me anymore but it would be a pity to spill that pure blood that you claim to have. " said Voldemort with a sneer on his face " for now ".

Even though Voldemort didn't like to admit it he also kept Lucius alive because his position in the sacred twenty-eight . He wanted to control them all and the Malfoys were very important members . What Voldemort didn't know was that Lucius was aware of The Dark Lord's obsession with the purebloods so he was counting on this to keep him alive.

"Thank you , My Lord. I promise you that you will not regret this . I will accomplish whatever task you give me in the future" said Lucius who was practically standing at Voldemort's feet.

The other Death Eaters were watching with amusement as they knew that the once-glorious Malfoy Family was now practically irrelevant to the Dark Lord and each of them hoped that they could replace Lucius as one of the most valued Death Eater.

" I know you will..but now you must be punished " said Voldemort and with that Lucius began to feel The Dark Lord's wrath as the Cruciatus was hitting him with full force. But Lucius did not mind . He had to do it for his family . He had just watched his daughter being tortured in the same manner so this was his way to atone for letting his child have this horrible fate. He would give anything if that meant that his family would be safe but he knew that he had to stay alive to protect them so he fought the curse in order to keep his sanity .

* * *

For Hermione, it felt like an eternity had passed since darkness has surrounded her but the only thing that she was aware of was that the feeling of being consumed was getting stronger and stronger and she was feeling like she was being eaten alive . She didn't know what was happening, why she was there or when it would end , her only option being waiting patiently for her ending .

The young witch was starting to feel overwhelmed by the shadows which were growing stronger and stronger but just when she believed that she could not resist any longer a bright light appeared and brought back her peace . She felt better than she had felt in years, a feeling of familiarity washing over her and making her feel love and hope , something that she had lost a long time ago.

" You should not be here, sweetie" a familiar voice said and Hermione could see two silhouettes who were materializing in front of her.

" Mum? Dad?" said Hermione realization dawning on her " You came to take me " she said and she hugged the two people in front of her .They were the two people that she missed the most and whose deaths she felt most guilty about. The brightest witch of her age couldn't even save her parents who were killed by some Death Eaters a day before they were supposed to be going into hiding.

" Hello sweetie " said her mother with tears in her eyes " You have been so brave , we are so proud of you "

" Yes, darling ,you are amazing. We could not ask for a better daughter" continued her father " but we are not here to take you with us , but to send you back"

" I do not understand . I am dead. I have to come with you" replied Hermione confused.

Her mother took her hand in hers " Listen sweetie , your time has not come yet. You have many things left to do . You have been brave all this time and I know that you can take everything that life throws at you. You are our little fighter"

"We don't have a lot of time left " Interrupted her father " Great things are expected from you from now own. Just know that we will keep on watching you forever . We love you Minnie "

" Dad I love you too but I don't understand. What more can I do. I am not powerful. I lost"

" Don't underestimate yourself sweetie. You are more than you will ever know. Now go. Open your eyes and live."

The two people started to fade out but right before they were gone her mother said

"Oh and make sure that you say hello to your parents from us"

"What pa-" began Hermione but she was cut off because everything started to fade around her.

* * *

Inside Malfoy Manor the atmosphere was a sad , somber one. Narcissa Malfoy was standing inside the most warded room in their home and was watching with sadness the two people in front of her. In separate beds were sleeping her long lost daughter and her husband, both of them driven into that state by people who were supposed to be fighting for a better life for the wizarding world. But seeing her family in that state made Narcissa more and more sure that Voldemort's world was not one that she would like to live into.

Draco was curled into a chair next to his mother and was peacefully sleeping, something extremely rare those days . Having the darkest wizard living with them has taken a toll on her son who was becoming more and more depressed and unstable but his absence made him relax and become a little bit more like himself. Seeing her two children like this, Narcissa couldn't shake the thought that was bugging her: she was a failure as a parent.

As deep in her thoughts as she was , she failed to notice her daughter starting to move her fingers but as her movements became more and more accentuated Narcissa was drawn back from her reverie. In a heartbeat she arrived next to Hermione's bed, just in time to see the young witch opening her eyes.

Hermione woke up with a terrible headache and she felt nausea washing over her. Seeing the older witch standing over her did not help her at all and as panic was starting to settle in she felt her stomach throbbing powerfully and vomit threatening to spill out. Quick as a flash , Narcissa transfigured a big bucket and gave it to Hermione to empty her stomach's contents.

After a few moments Hermione calmed herself and she saw Narcissa standing next to her with a vial of potion in her hand. Skeptical , the young witch regarded Narcissa with a strange look on her face.

" Don't worry it is not poison. It is a potion that will help you with all the after-effects of the Cruciatus curse. I swear on my magic that I am not trying to harm you " said Narcissa, sad that her daughter would think that she tried to poison her but understanding given the situation.

Relaxing a bit , Hermione took the potion and swallowed it all at once, its effects starting to be felt right away. Her headache became just a faint annoyance and her nausea was gone. Feeling better , she managed to take a look at her surroundings and realized that she was in an unknown place and she started to panic again. Her fear was probably apparent on her face because Narcissa was quick to explain everything to her.

" You are inside Malfoy Manor , in a room heavily warded against all but the Malfoys. We brought you here and treated you as you were in no state to be moved anywhere else"

" And the boys?" asked Hermione weakly, not trusting her voice to say more .

"They are alive and well .We called their elf and they were taken away. Don't worry they were well and unharmed. But I can't tell you more because I don't know anything about their whereabouts " answered Narcissa.

"Thank you , but.." started Hermione unsurely " .. why did you save me?"

Narcissa took a moment to answer, not knowing what route she should take . Eventually , she decided that no matter what, the girl in front of her was a fighter and she deserved to be told the truth so she started to tell her the events that led to her current state.

" We did not save you " started the older witch " The house did . It is bound by blood to help any Malfoy who is in trouble so it reacted to Bellatrix's attack . The house blasted Bellatrix from you and drained her from her magical power and life force."

"But the enchantment on the house must be broken because it reacted to me " said Hermione, almost muttering to herself .

" Will you allow me to tell you a story?" asked Narcissa hopeful. When Hermione nodded she continued

" When I was younger I had two children, twins,: Draco, which you have already met ,and a girl named Cassiopeia. They were my world and as a young mother I could not be more proud of my children. But on a horrible night, my little girl was stolen from me , leaving only my dragon behind. I searched for the girl for many years but not even the Malfoy blood magic couldn't help me . It was like she disappeared from the face of the earth " finished Narcissa with her eyes in tears . Even though many years had passed, the memory of that night had a great impact on the woman.

" I am sorry for your loss Mrs. Malfoy but I still don't understand how this is related to me" said Hermione confused.

Narcissa smiled and answered " Because you are my long lost daughter, Cassiopeia Irma Malfoy. The house recognised your blood the moment it started spilling on the floor "

Hermione could not find her words . Seeing this woman, a woman raised to hate her kind, someone fighting for the other side, sister to the witch who tortured her, telling her all these things was overwhelming and strange. Poor woman, so lost in her mourning that she saw her long-lost daughter in the simple muggle-born Hermione.

" I am sorry Mrs. Malfoy but you must be mistaken. There is no way that I could be related to you. My parents are simple muggles and I even have papers to attest my parentage. " she watched the woman attentively and continued " and nothing in this story adds up. Who would steal me and take me to muggles ? "

" I do not know the details but I can prove you everything if you allow me ." Hermione was a little unsure but she just nodded, deciding to play along. Deep down in her heart some form of doubt started to form but she decided to ignore it.

Narcissa pointed her wand to the younger witch and she whispered " _Parentes revelare_ " . Suddenly , a blue light erupted from the older woman's wand which engulfed Hermione for a few seconds. After the light faded out some letters started to appear in front of them : " Cassiopeia Irma Malfoy , parents : Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black. " . The words continued to hang in the air as if daring anyone to contradict them. Hermione was staring at the writing in front of her with wide eyes , feeling that her world was collapsing in front of her.

Seeing that Hermione did not say anything Narcissa was the first to speak " They will not disappear until you accept your parentage . This is the way this spell works"

"Then they will stay in this room forever as I will never accept something like this . My parents are Michael and Sarah Granger, muggles, and I am Hermione Granger, muggleborn" said Hermione with a hint of annoyance , her eyes never leaving the writing in front of her.

Narcissa felt tears starting to gather in her eyes. Surely she did not expect the girl to accept her parentage and call her mother but her rejection still hurt her deeply.

"Hermione we both know that magic never lies. I could never dream to replace your parents that raised you but this doesn't change the fact that I gave birth to you and that I love you even though you don't believe me." She took a deep breath and continued" Your father faced almost certain death because he lied to the Dark Lord for you and now he is fighting for his life in this same room and he did it all to ensure your safety and ours too."

For the first time after waking up Hermione looked at the man standing a few meters near her in a bed similar to hers . She took her time analyzing his features and she realized that he was far from the aristocratic man Lucius Malfoy once was. Now he was a pale , thin man , who seemed a lot older than he was supposed to be.

" I understand your reluctance" Narcissa broke her reverie " But I have lost you once and I won't lose you again. Please tell me what you need me to do. I will do anything you want "

Hermione was starting to feel bad for Narcissa. She was not a stupid girl, she knew that magic never lies , not even when you would want it to but she felt confused and scared. Her whole life was starting to turn upside down and she could do nothing to prevent it.

" Who took me ? Why give me to my parents? "

" I do not know and I swear that I would have given anything to have you back. But I never received any word from your kidnapper . Please believe me"

" I do believe you " Hermione said and startled Narcissa who was now crying " And I will accept my parentage with one condition "

" Anything"

" I want you to help the Order . Work with us to bring him down" said Hermione without even blinking.

Narcissa was baffled . This was a tough request because they were scared of Voldemort but then realization dawned on her. Her daughter was still going to fight no matter which her response was and she was not going to let her baby fight on her own. This was the least she could do as a mother to maybe compensate for her absence.

" We will help however we can. But can you promise a full pardon for us when this is done? "

"Sure " said Hermione a little bit surprised by the woman's answer . She didn't expect Narcissa to go so far for her and because of this her heart melted a little . She would make sure that these people would avoid prison if they would help them defeat Voldemort once and for all " You have my word " and with this she raised her hand to shake the older woman's hand .

The second their hands connected the scarlet writing disappeared and Hermione knew that her life would change completely.


	5. Chapter 5 : Theodore

**_Chapter 5 : Theodore_**

 _ **Nott Manor**_

Never stand out. Being exceptional only creates expectations, expectations that are bothersome to fulfill . Become your best version but do it for yourself, far away from the eyes of other people. These were the words that Theodore Nott kept repeating to himself as he grew up.

His father, the feared Thoros Nott wanted his son to be the best. The perfect pureblood scion, someone who would continue the 'old ways' as he liked to say . Theodore had the potential to become everything that his father wanted but he swore to himself that he would never do it. He hated his father with passion and the last thing that he wanted to become was a puppet, blinded by the pureness of his blood as all his ancestors before him. He was never like the likes of Draco Malfoy who, even though was his best friend , wanted to become the splitting image of his father. Theo just wanted to be his own person, free to become whoever he wanted.

His mother, Merlin bless her soul, would have never wanted him to become like all the pureblood fools the society held in such high regard. She was a special person, almost too good for a world full of misery and hate and, had she been alive, Theo would have done anything to protect her. But she was dead and he was left alone in the world, as even though he still had his father, he was better off alone. Rather than a father, Thoros was a puppet, grooming the next heir as his father, his father's father, and all the heirs before him had done.

He was smart, this much he knew. He only needed to be explained something once before he could learn it and he could master any spell after a little exercise but he was set to keep his skills to himself. Not fulfilling his father's expectations was the only way he felt like he was still himself, someone that he could be proud of. He would never disobey his father upfront but he would do anything he could to avoid being manipulated like his other pureblood friends.

A small pop broke him from his thoughts and an old house-elf appeared in front of him

"Tiny is sorry to disturb young master but Tiny was told that master is expecting you in his office"

"Thank you Tiny" responded Theo and with that he rose from his seat and started to walk slowly in the direction of his father's office.

Since the Dark Lord had returned, Theo's life had had a turn for the worse, as his father's expectations started to grow. He was not only required to be the perfect son but the perfect servant for Voldemort, something that the young wizard believed that was not compatible with the whole aristocratic lifestyle he was supposed to lead. But the Lord's return meant that Thoros was away a lot on Death Eater business, something that made Theodore extremely happy.

Once he arrived in front of his father's office he knocked a few times at the door and waited for his father to acknowledge his arrival, knowing that it would be plain rude to barge in without permission.

"Enter" his father eventually spoke with his usual cold voice and Theo entered the somber room and stood in front of his father's desk. Thoros didn't even look at his son and he continued to read the papers in front of him but Theo knew that this was his father's way to show him that he was not important and that he had to wait patiently for his turn.

After ten minutes his father finally spoke " Theodore, thank you for coming. Please take a seat". The boy listened to his father and sat down on the closest chair to the desk. His father was in full business mode, not that he had ever been a paternal, warm figure, but Theo knew just from watching him that his father was going to talk business.

"Theodore, I have something important to talk to you and I need you to listen very closely. As you know, our Lord has been more and more pleased with our efforts to help his cause and I am proud to say that we are going to be rewarded" Theo cringed inwardly but he kept his face straight as he knew that his father would not appreciate any interruption. Unaware of his son displeasure Thoros continued " Our Lord has decided to accept my offer and move his entire base in our home. He is finally going to stop relying on that fool Malfoy, something that I have been trying to achieve ever since before the war. "

Theo's world started spinning because of his father's words. Sure he knew what his father's activities were but he felt a little pride at the thought that he was not involved in any way. The Nott heir was thought to be too inexperienced and too lacking to be of any use to the Dark Lord. Because of this Theo felt that his soul was still pure, untouched by the evil. But right now the man in front of him was threatening everything he had tried to achieve. He knew that with the arrival of the Dark Lord in his home his peace would be gone.

"Next week they are going to settle inside the manor and I expect you to be on your best behavior. We must show them that we are worthy of this honor. " Theo nodded and after a short pause his father concluded " Very well. You may leave"

Theo rose from his seat and started walking slowly towards the door when he heard his father " Oh and no word to the Malfoy heir. I don't want Lucius meddling in my business" .

"Yes father" responded Theo and with that he left his father's study and started walking towards his safest place, the only place that could help him heal his heart and clear his thoughts. He needed his mother

The Nott cemetery was located in the northernmost area of the whole estate and his mother, Kala Nott, was buried there with all his ancestors. She would have hated it, Theo thought. She always hated the whole uptight pureblood lifestyle and she hated those stiff ancestors of his. But she endured it all for her family, because she had such a golden heart that she didn't want to disappoint them.

Once in the cemetery it was impossible not to see which one Kala's tombstone was. It was very well taken care of and it always had fresh flowers in front of it. In contrast, the other tombstones were dirty and it was evident that nobody even bothered to visit them.

Theo sat down in front of the beautiful tombstone which read " Kala Nott, nee Potter, Loving mother and wife. " and underneath it was written "Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely". His mother had lived graciously and had greeted death as an old friend so this quote summed her up perfectly, Theo believed.

"Hello, mother. I have missed you. Well, I actually miss you daily, every moment and every second. You know, life has been messed up since you left but I don't blame you. You couldn't have done anything. I am proud though that he hasn't turned me in a copy of him. I am still your son and not his." after this, the silence engulfed the entire space but Theo didn't mind. This was his peaceful time, the only time he could breathe and be himself.

"Things are going to be even worse, mother but I won't give up. I am going to fight for my life and for you to be proud of me. Please keep on guiding me from now on. I love you very much "

A few tears escaped from his eyes but Theo wiped them and left the graveyard before he could meet with his father by accident. He knew that the chances of his father visiting the grave were slim but he didn't want to risk it. He didn't want to show his father his feelings because it would only make him weak. He would have to become tougher in the days to come as he could feel that the future events would change his life forever.

* * *

Exactly one week later Theo found himself in the worst situation possible: He was standing with his father and his 'co-workers' ,and worst of all, with the Dark Lord at the same table. They were all having a formal dinner to celebrate the move into Nott Manor and Theo was supposed to be the perfect host so he had to be polite and entertaining.

"So tell me young Theodore, what plans do you have for your career? I understand that you have left Hogwarts and are studying at home so I am curious about your plans." asked Voldemort with a sinister smirk plastered on his face.

"I believe that I am going to follow my father into politics, my Lord. I want to help shape our world and fight for our cause " answered Theo with the most perfect smile he could show " As for my education it is unfortunate that I could not continue it but there are still a lot of people from the wrong sorts attending that school. For now I am more comfortable with home-schooling where I can learn more useful things for a proper pureblood"

Voldemort seemed pleased with Theo's response so he continued making small-talk with his other followers, unaware that the young wizard was struggling to keep his composure.

After the dinner most of the wizards started to leave, happy that they spent an evening in their lord's presence but Theo was dreading this moment because it meant that he would be alone with his father and the Dark Lord, something that scared him tremendously.

An hour later, the last wizard attending left and Theo braced himself for the worst.

"Theodore, come, let's have a walk !" said the Dark Lord as he started walking towards the gardens and the young wizard followed him without saying a word. Voldemort didn't say a word for about twenty minutes into the walk and it was just when Theo started thinking that the Dark Lord had changed his mind when the older wizard spoke.

" I can not say how happy I am that you share our views on the society that we are trying to build. You see, I was starting to be worried because you do not share the same views as us "

Visibly anxious, Theo answered as fast as he could " I am deeply upset that I have failed to show you my loyalty, my Lord. I have always believed I was a lacking person so I wanted to better myself before I could offer my services to you. I didn't want to be a disappointment. I can assure you that my loyalties have always been with you and your cause"

Visibly pleased, Voldemort stopped from his walk and continued " I always knew that you were valuable. Your father always kept on saying that his son was lacking but I know a capable man when I see him Theodore and I can say that you have a great destiny in front of you "

"Thank you my Lord. Your words fill me with joy " answered Theodore politely and bowed deeply in front of his maser.

"So tell me, Theodore. What would you say about a mission to prove yourself? This could show your father that you are not the useless young boy that you once were"

"I would be honored and I would do anything my Lord commands" and Theo did not lie. He would do anything. Well, what could he do? Disobey the Devil himself when he was living in his home? And he didn't even have a reason to fight him. He had nobody in his life that would need him fighting. The only thing he could do was preserve his life.

"I knew you would be eager to help " said Voldemort " Your mission is going to be a special one and you mustn't tell anybody or you will be punished, do you understand? "

Theo nodded and listened patiently for Voldemort to explain his mission but he would have never guessed his mission, not even in a million years. With heavy heart he accepted his master's request but he would never have thought that this mission would bring so much hardship but also so much happiness in his life.

* * *

 _ **Malfoy Manor**_

Malfoy Manor was everything that Hermione used to read about in fairytales. It was one of the most beautiful houses the young witch had ever seen, even more beautiful than some muggle castles. It was filled with so much history and culture that Hermione was sure that you could study it for years and even then you would not know everything about it.

Narcissa answered any question about the house and even though Hermione knew that she was doing it to get closer to her she could not help but feel a bit of sympathy for the woman who was finally finding her lost baby. Draco was a little more reserved but Hermione could see that the boy was studying her every step and she couldn't help but feel nervous. She wanted to know more about her brother too but thinking about the fact that there were real family ties between them unnerved Hermione to no end.

The only person who Hermione did not have contact with was Lucius because he was still unconscious after the torture and the witch couldn't help but feel some respect for the man who sacrificed himself for his family. He even sacrificed himself for her, well for Cassiopeia, but nonetheless for a girl he hadn't seen in so many years.

Seeing Hermione so deep in thought Narcissa broke her from her reverie "Please tell me what is bothering you Ca-Hermione". She quickly corrected herself as she did not want to make the girl think that she was rushing her into anything.

"I was thinking about how strange the situation is. I am in the house of the people who were my enemies a few days ago and it is all very confusing"

"I understand that this situation is not a perfect one but I must thank you for trying to understand. It means the world to me" answered Narcissa, happiness obvious on her face.

The two women sat together in silence for a few minutes when Hermione eventually spoke

"Tell me something about you. Something ordinary that not a lot of people know" after a little bit of hesitation she added "About Lucius too...and Draco. I just want to know more about you in order not to feel so strange "

Narcissa beamed and after a few moments she eventually started speaking " When Draco was little and was learning how to speak he overheard me talking with his father and calling him Lucius. Being a toddler he picked it up right at that moment so the next time when he saw his father he wanted to call him like that but he could not so he just said 'Lucy'. Needless to say, Lucius was livid as his son was calling him a girl's name" Narcissa started laughing while remembering her young son " He tried so much to teach the boy to address him as 'father' but Draco was so happy because of the new word that he learned that he kept calling him "Lucy" for a few months"

Hermione couldn't help herself but laugh at the silly memory, something she would have never thought to be possible in the presence of the older Malfoy woman. Seeing that Hermione was enjoying her story, Narcissa continued .

"Draco was so fond of his way of addressing his father that he even repeated the name in front of the house elves so after a short while everyone in the house was calling him Lucy, me included. His reactions were priceless. He kept on sulking for a few months but he loved his son so I strongly believe that he was proud that his little baby was so fond of him"

For the first time ever since meeting the Malfoys, Hermione felt that they were humans. Of course that she knew what they were but when she was seeing them in public they had that pureblood mask that made them look more like robots . Their Slytherin upbringing contributed to that too.

"Would you mind telling me something about yourself too?" asked Narcissa hopefully.

Hermione thought hardly about a memory that she could share with the woman but soon enough she found the perfect story to tell her.

"When I was younger there was a boy who kept on picking on me and one day he was particularly cruel so I just snapped and punched him directly in the nose. I showed him that even though I was a woman I could stand up for myself in both magical and muggle way " said the girl, hopeful that the older woman would not judge her too much.

After a few seconds Narcissa just burst out laughing and she surprised the girl by telling her a similar memory of her own

"If I can tell you a secret, I punched Luciuss in the nose once too. He was so bewildered that someone stood up to his pompous arse that he fell in love with me right there. We are more alike than I would have thought, my dear."

The two women laughed at the absurdity of their tales and afterwards they settled into a silence which was neither awkward nor upsetting. They were just comfortable .

"Oh .." added Hermione "I think I should mention that the boy that I punched was Draco "

Narcissa stared at Hermione for a few seconds and then she started to giggle like a teenager

"I suppose he deserved it. That boy is too much like his father for his own good"

When Draco entered the room he was surprised to find his mother and Hermione, as it was too strange for him to call her his sister, talking and laughing, something that warmed his heart a little.

"Sweetie, come and join us. We are sharing embarrassing stories." said Narcissa while gesturing for her son to sit down.

"Yeah, Draco. Narcissa has told me so many embarrassing stories about you that I feel like we grew up together." said Hermione, a smug smile on her face.

"Well, thank you dear mother. I appreciate you sharing around my most gracious moments" said Draco attempting to sound upset but failing. "I came here to announce that the elves are saying that father could be waking in a few days as his state improved a lot "

"You mean Lucy is going to wake up soon" said Hermione and everyone started to laugh wholeheartedly, something that all of them needed.

* * *

A quarter after midnight, Hermione realized that sleep was just not going to come to her that night. She was just too full of thoughts to simply go to sleep so she decided to go for a walk inside the Manor, hoping that a few minutes of walking would tire her enough to sleep.

The halls of the Manor were long and full of portraits of different ancestors which were politely saluting her as she walked by. " Stupid purebloods" she thought " A few days ago you would have just sneered at me and address me less than pleasant words. All hypocrites"

Little by little she made her way into the main room which was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. Hermione was sure that years ago that room was where the Malfoys hosted amazing balls and truth be told she felt a little bit of sadness that she couldn't be present for all these. Suddenly, she was brought back from her thoughts by the sound of the fireplace roaring and fear started overwhelming her. Someone was coming and she had no wand.

From the green flames emerged no other than Theodore Nott who was now watching curiously the blonde girl in front of him. She was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen and there was something familiar about her but he couldn't exactly say what it was. It was no doubt however that the girl in front of him was a Malfoy as her looks betrayed her. But he knew the entire Malfoy family and he had never seen that girl.

"I don't believe that we have been introduced. My name is Theodore Nott. And you are?"

Hemione was at a loss of words so she kept on biting her lip, a habit she had developed during her childhood when she was nervous. She didn't know what she was supposed to say to the son of a well-known Death Eater but the fact that he didn't seem to recognize her eased her nerves a little.

Seeing that the girl was nervous in his presence Theodore continued " I am sorry for frightening you but I assure you that I mean no harm. I am an old family friend " . There was something really familiar about her, that he was sure of. The way she kept on biting her lip was so familiar but he couldn't really remember someone with a similar habit.

Suddenly, Theo felt that that he could not move and he fell to the ground, unable to support his body weight. Just when he wanted to ask what was happening he heard the girl's scared voice and he realized how he knew her.

"Granger? " he managed to ask but it was the last thing he managed to say as darkness eventually surrounded him.

* * *

 _ **A/N Thank you for reading and reviewing. It means the world to me. I am extremely grateful that there are people willing to read my updates.**_

 _ **-Irina-**_


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